BORIS: MANY FAMILIES WILL LOSE LOVED ONES
BORIS JOHNSON last night declared coronavirus as the “worst public health crisis for a generation” and warned that many more people will die.
In a bleak but frank assessment of the emergency facing the country,
the Prime Minister confirmed that the outbreak cannot be stopped from becoming widespread, while health experts estimated up to 10,000 people in the UK may already be infected.
From today, anyone with a new continuous cough or high temperature must isolate themselves by staying at home for seven days, Mr Johnson said. Entire households where one person has symptoms could later be asked to go into quarantine as the outbreak spreads in coming weeks.
And in a chilling prediction of a fast-growing mortality rate, he admitted: “I must level with you, level with the British public – many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”
He also made a direct plea to all Britons to look out for each other.
He said: “We should all be thinking about our elderly relatives, the more vulnerable members of their family, our neighbours, and everything we can do to protect them over the next few months.
“We’re going to need to mobilise millions of people to help and support each other.
“We will get through this, this country will get through this epidemic, just as it has got through many tougher experiences before, if we look out for each other and commit wholeheartedly to a full national effort.”
In a 10-point plan to curb the spread of the disease, older people were advised not to take cruise holidays, while schools were told to cancel foreign trips.
But Mr Johnson stopped short of extreme measures including banning mass gatherings and closing schools after evidence suggested they would have little impact in the short term.
His team of experts also indicated that elderly and vulnerable people may have to isolate for up to 14 weeks during the peak of the outbreak.
And anyone living with a coronavirus patient must stay six feet away from them.
Mr Johnson, flanked by his Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, spoke at a Downing Street news conference yesterday afternoon, after a meeting of his Cobra emergency planning committee.
He confirmed that the Government scheme to contain the virus had concluded and Whitehall was switching its efforts to delay the peak of infections until the early summer to minimise the impact on the NHS.
Official figures confirmed 596 cases of coronavirus had been recorded in the UK, with 10 people dead.
Mr Johnson said: “It’s clear that coronavirus continues and will continue to spread across the world and our country over the next few months.
“We’ve done what can be done to contain this disease and this has bought us valuable time. But it is now a global pandemic. And the number of cases will rise sharply and, indeed, the true number of cases is higher
than the number of cases we have so far confirmed with tests.
“I’ve got to be clear, we’ve all got to be clear, that this is the worst public health crisis for a generation.”
Successfully delaying the peak could cut the number of infections in half at the height of the outbreak and reduce the death rate by 20 per cent, according to his medical advice.
He said: “If we delay the peak even by a few weeks, then our NHS will be in a stronger state as the weather improves and fewer people suffer from normal respiratory diseases, more beds are available and we’ll have more time for medical research.”
Measures had to be deployed at the “right time to maximise their effect”, he added, saying: “The most important task will be to protect our elderly and most vulnerable people during the peak weeks when there is the maximum risk of exposure to the disease and when the NHS will be under the most pressure.
“The most dangerous period is not now but some weeks away depending on how fast it spreads.” He went on: “If you have symptoms, however mild – either a new continuous cough or a high temperature – you should stay at home for at least seven days to protect others and help slow the spread of the disease.”
People with mild symptoms were urged not call the NHS 111 helpline or go to their GP but to get advice from the NHS website instead. Home tests are being stopped and only hospital patients will be tested now.
Mr Johnson said he was continuing to talk with experts over when and if to ban public gatherings. In Scotland, the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday.